IATA Predicts Passenger Numbers will Expand to 888m by 2010

Global international passenger numbers are set to expand from 704m in 2005 to 888m by 2010, according to IATA forecasts from 2006-2010.

The worldwide demand for international air travel, measured in passenger numbers, is expected to show an average annual growth rate (AARG) of 4.8% for the five-year period to 2010 compared with the 6.5% AAGR recorded over the past decade.

"Airlines are consolidating impressive efficiency gains since 2001 to pursue a growth strategy focused on profitability", said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA Director General and CEO.

Regionally, the strongest passenger traffic growth is forecast for the Middle East region with an AAGR of 6.9%, fueled by economic expansion, new routes and capacity. Asia's projected 5.7% AAGR will be led by Pakistan (8.2%), China (8.1%) and India (7.9%) while Africa (5.1%) and Latin America (4.6%) will both see expansion.

The mature markets of Europe (4.4%) and North America (4.3%) will grow at a slower pace than the global average rate but we will see some impressive gains in Eastern Europe with Poland (9.2%), Ukraine (7.7%) and Romania (7.5%) being the top markets. IATA